Drilling apparatus



May 1, 1934.

F; MILLER DRILLING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 20, 1932 w w a 1 Ml 2 F p cn WW 6 x 0 w l 5 J 3 H j H? X fl i W W Z L K 6 1 1 mm /r. 3 v l INVENTORQ 1 5' nk'MzMeu H115 ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1934 PATENT OFFICE DRILLING APPARATUS Frank Miller, Easton, Pa., assignor to Ingersoll- Rand Company, Jersey City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 20, 1932, Serial No. 638,669

6 Claims.

This invention relates to drilling apparatus, and more particularly to Well drilling apparatus of the rotary type of which the cutting tool is rotated to cut an annular channel in the earth formation. The plug or core thus severed from the mass is then lifted to the surface by the drilling apparatus and the operation is repeated in this manner until a hole of the desired depth has been drilled.

One object of the invention is to retain the driving mechanism closely adjacent the cutting tool irrespective of the depth of the drill hole.

Another object is to enable a hole of large dimensions to be drilled with a minimum expenditure of power, and a further object is to adequately protect the power device against the eifects of the thrust of thecutting tool.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawing accompanying this specification and in which similar reference characters refer to similar parts,

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a drilling mechanism constructed in accordance with the practice of the invention, and

Figure 2 is a similar view of the stem whereby the drilling mechanism may be raised and lowered in the drill hole and the means whereby the stem may be held against the rotary force of the motor.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, A designates a cutting tool in the form of a tubular shell, the lower edge B of which is adapted to cut an annular channel C in the rock D. The cutting tool A may be of a well known type employing abrasive material, as for instance shot E, for cutting the rock D.

The material severed from the mass by the formation of the channel C extends upwardly into the cutting tool A in the form of a core F which may be severed from the mass and lifted to the surface by suitable and well known hoisting mechanism located near the entrance of the drill hole.

Near the upper end of and within the cutting tool A is a. plate G which may be aflixed to the cutting tool in suitable manner to form a closure for the upper end thereof, and to the plate G is aifixed, as by means of bolts H, a clutch member J to. engage a clutch member K on the end of a driving shaft L.

The clutch member: J and the driving shaft L have lateral flanges 0 and P, respectively, which I are sibtted for the accommodation of securing means, such as eye-bolts Q. In'the present instance the eye-bolts are pivotally secured to the flange O and extend through the slots of the flange P and are provided with nuts R acting upon the flange P to maintain the clutch members J and K in engagement with each other.

The means whereby the cutting tool is raised from and lowered into the drill hole consists of a stem designated in its entirety by S. The stem comprises an elongated member T preferably of rectangular cross-sectional form carrying at its upper end an eye-bolt U to which a hoist cable V may be connected for lifting and lowering the drilling apparatus. Connected to the lower end of the stem S, as by means of eye-bolts W, is-a distance piece X having a lateral flange Y through which extend bolts Z for securing the distance piece to an enlarged casing b wherein is arranged an electric motor 0.

Asa preferred form of construction a gear casing d, which is secured at its lower end to the corresponding end of the casing b by bolts e, extends upwardly into the casing b and serves as a mounting for the motor casing j which is secured to the gear casing d by bolts 9.

Within the gear casing d are arranged a series of gears, designated as a group by h, for reducing the speed of the motor and to transmit its movement to the shaft L and thus to the cutting tool A. The gear train is actuated by the shaft 1' of the motor and one of said gears, herein designated by k, meshes with an internal gear 0 on a shaft p which extends through a bearing cap q arranged at the lower end of' the gear casing 11 and secured thereto by the bolts e.

On the lower end of the shaft p is a clutch member r which engages a clutch member s on the adjacent end of the shaft L. The clutch members 1 and s may, as shown, he threadedly connected to the shafts p and L and are clamped together and held in engagement with each other by eye-bolts t.

With the cutting tool A, the shafts L and p clamped and clutched together in the manner described these elements form a rigid driving connection between the cutting tool and the internal gear 0. In order, therefore, to prevent the thrust of the cutting tool from being transmitted to the-motor c, or more particularly to the train of gearing h and the motor, the shaft p is provided with a thrust collar it which is shown as :"being threaded to the shaft p. The thrust collar u lies within a housing 11 which constitutes the lowermost end of the stem assembly and is secured to the bearing member q by bolts vw.

Within the housing 0, and arranged above and below the thrust collar u, are thrust bearings :r'

and 1/, respectively. The bearings a: and 1/ may, as shown, be of the roller type to transmit any thrust to which the .shaft p may be subjected to the bottom of the bearing member q or to the bottom of the housing 0, depending upon the direction of the thrust. The opening a in the bottom of the housing 12, and through which the shaft p extends, is sealed by a suitable packing device 2 to prevent the entrance of foreign matter into the housing 12.

In order to assure thorough ventilation of the interior of the casing b wherein the motor 0 is arranged the elements extending upwardly from .the casing b, as for instance the distance piece X and the elongated member T are provided with passages 3 which communicate with the atmosphere through a port 4 near the upper end of the member T. On the shaft :i of the motor 0 is a fan 5 which circulates the air within the casing b and expels the heated air through the passages 3 and the port 4 to the atmosphere.

Any suitable means may be provided for conducting fresh air into the casing b. This may be accomplished by a conduit 6 which extends into the casing b and, in the present instance, encases the wires 7 which connect the motor 0 with a source of electricity.

As is customary in devices of this character, the apparatus includes means for supplying cleansing fluid to the cutting tool to expedite the cutting of the rock D and also to flush the detritus from the drill hole. To this end a water box 8 is disposed about the shaft L and the openings 9 in the top and bottom of the water box 8, through which the shaft L extends, are suitably sealed by packing glands 10.

Leading from the surface of the ground to the water box 8 is a conduit 11 through which water, under pressure, 'and the abrasive material may be introduced into the water box 8. The lower end or nozzle 12 of the conduit 11 extends into the water box to a point near the shaft L and overlies or extends into a hopper 13 within the water box.

The hopper 13 may, if desired, be aflixed to the bottom of the water box so that the shaft L will rotate with respect thereto. Within the shaft L,'

the clutch member J and the plate G is a passage 14 having ports 15 at its upper end through which water and shot E flow into the interior of the cutting tool A.

To the end that the flushing water and abrasive material entering the cutting tool may be directed to the inner surface thereof and thus pass readily to its cutting end instead of first striking the core F, and whereon the abrasive material might otherwise lodge, a baffle plate or deflector 16 of slightly smaller diameter than the interior of the cutting tool is disposed therein and held in suspended spaced relationship with respect to the plate G by bolts 17.

The water box 8 is supported by a thrust bearing 18 disposed about the shaft L and held against the lowermost gland 10 by a collar 19 secured adjustably to the shaft L, as by means of screws 20.

In order that the water box 8 may be held from rotating with the shaft L, about which it is disposed, the water box is provided with lateral projections 21 having apertures 22 for the reception of a rod 23 seated in an aperture 24 of a flange 25 at the lower end of the housing 1; and from which the rod 23 is suspended.

The elongated member T and. the elements connecting it with the motor casing f serve to resist the torsion of the motor and these ele-'- ments are, therefore, held against rotary movement by a bearing 26 which is disposed slidably on the member T and interlocked therewith. Threaded into the bearing 26 are a series of pointers 27 which extend radially of the bearing and are adapted to engage the wall of the hole being drilled. The pointers 27 may be provided with suitable lock nuts 28 which seat against the bearing 26 to hold the pointers securely in the rock engaging positions.

Means are provided to assist in guiding the cutting tool and to maintain the elements superimposed thereupon in substantially coaxial relationship with the hole being drilled. To this end the member T is provided near its lower end with a lateral flange 29'having radial aper tures 30 for the reception of rods 31 which may be shifted longitudinally of the apertures 30 and locked in position by bolts 32 extending through the flange 29. In the outer extremities of the rods 31 are pins 33 to act as shafts for rollers 34 which seat against the wall .of the drill hole and roll thereon as the cutting tool A advances into the rock or during the raising and the lowering of the apparatus to and from the bottom of the drill hole.

The operation of the device is as follows: After the drill hole has been drilled to a depth sufficient to permit the insertion of the bearing 26 thereinto the said bearing is placed in position and the pointers 27 are threaded outwardly to engage the rock. The lock nuts 28 may then be tightened to securely lock the pointers 27 and thus prevent against accidental unthreading thereof.

With the lower end of the cutting tool seated upon the rock intended to be cut the motor 0 is set in operation. Its rotary motion is transmitted to the cutting tool through the gearing h, the shafts p and L for rotating the cutting tool. During this operation of the apparatus water under pressure and shot are supplied to the water box 8 through the conduit 11 and these elements pas through the ports 15 and the passage 14 into the interior of the cutting tool A.

Upon entering the cutting tool the water and shot are deflected outwardly by the plate 16 and pass between the core and the inner surface of the cutting tool to the bottom of the drill hole where the shot serves to cut the rock. The water introduced in this manner passes beneath the cutting edge of the cutting tool and flows upwardly through the drill hole from where it, together with entrained cuttings, 'may be removed by suitable pumping machanism (not shown).

During the operation of the apparatus any thrust resulting from the action of the cutting tool on the rock surface and acting in an upwardly direction will be transmitted through the shafts L and p and the thrust collar u and through the thrust bearing to the bearing member q, instead of to the motor c.

I claim:

1. A drilling apparatus comprising a cutting tool, a stem for raising and lowering the cutting tool, a motor within the stem for rotating the cutting tool and being affixed to the stem, and guide means having a plurality of separately adjustable rock engaging members adapted to engage the wall of the hole being drilled and with which guide means the stem is slidably interlocked to prevent rotation of the stem.

2. A drilling apparatus comprising a cutting guide member wherewith the stem is sidably interlocked, and adjustable pointers in the guide member to engage the wall of the hole being drilled to prevent rotation of the stem.

3. A drilling apparatus comprising a cutting tool, a non-rotatable stem for raising and lowering the cutting tool and having an enlarged portion at its lower end, a rotory motor within the enlarged portion and being afllxed thereto, means for transmitting the rotary movement of the motor to the cutting tool and including a shaft having a passage, 9. water box on the shaft, and a conduit for conveying water into the water box whence such water flows through the passage to the cutting tool.

4. A drilling apparatus comprising a cutting tool, a non-rotatable stem for raising and lowering the cutting tool and having an enlarged portion at its lower end, a rotary motor within the en larged portion and being aflixed thereto, means for transmitting the rotary movement of the motor to the cutting tool and including a shaft having a passage, a water box on the shaft, a conduit for conveying water into the water box whence such water flows through the passage to the cutting tool, and means carried by the stem and engaging the water box to prevent rotation of the water box with the shaft.

5. A drilling apparatus comprising a core-cutting tool, a non-rotatable stem for raising and lowering the cutting tool, a rotary motor in the stem and being aflixed thereto, a driving connection including a shaft for transmitting the rotary motion of the motor to the cutting tool and to hold the cutting tool suspended from the stem, said shaft having a passage opening into the cutting tool, a water box on the shaft adjacent the inlet opening of the passage, a conduit for conveying water and abrasive material into the water box, a thrust bearing on the shaft to support the water box, a rod on the stem engaging the water box to prevent rotation thereof with the shaft, and a thrust transmitting element in the stem including a collar on the shaft and thrust bearing for transmitting the thrust of the cutting tool to the stem.

6. A drilling apparatus comprising a cutting tool, a non-rotatable stem for raising and lowering the cutting tool, a rotary motor in the stem and being affixed thereto, a driving connection for transmitting the rotary motion of the motor to the cutting tool and having a passage opening into the cutting tool, a water boxon the driving connection whence water flows through the passage to the cutting tool, and means carried by the connection to support the water box.

FRANK MILLER. 

